Millions of Americans suffer from alcohol and drug addiction at some point during their lives – and the pandemic of addiction continues to take its toll throughout the country. Within the United States alone, estimates suggest that drug addiction-related costs (including financial, health, crime and productivity repercussions) reach just short of $200 billion per year, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Furthermore, the combined costs of alcohol, nicotine and drug addiction were cited as an astronomical $600 billion annually in just 2004 alone.
Recovering from Addiction Through Rehabilitation Programs
For those who make the decision to seek addiction recovery treatment, inpatient rehabilitation programs can offer the chance to return to sobriety – often with heightened levels of strength, balance, productivity and peace. The rehabilitation process provides supportive care in a residential environment, guided by addiction professionals that lead patients through the physical and psychological healing necessary to achieve successful sober living. With a myriad of alcohol and drug treatment options available throughout the nation, drug and alcohol addiction recovery facilities come in a wide variety of settings, from outpatient facilities to inpatient residential and extended sober living options.
Holistic Addiction Recovery in Rehabilitation
Studies have repeatedly shown that alcohol and drug addictions benefit most from a holistic treatment style, an interdisciplinary approach to addiction recovery. Working as a team, holistic addiction recovery specialists address the physical, social, psychological and emotional needs of those recovering from addiction. Medical staff can provide diagnostic testing, guard against complications that may arise during detoxification, assess nutritional needs and provide healing measures for the physical damage that addiction may have caused.
Clinical therapists offer clients the support and exchange of group counseling, the intense recovery of trauma therapies, individualized and personalized counseling sessions, and the strengthening of relationships through family and couples therapy. Alternative treatment practitioners bring mind-body awareness, stress reduction, physical wellness and heightened energy levels to the recovering individual. Cutting-edge and experimental therapies may also be used, such as expressive arts therapies and animal-assisted therapy. Eastern-based physical therapies may also be employed for stress reduction, such as yoga, acupuncture, qi gong and tai chi. Aftercare specialists also help patients learn to spot potential pitfalls and guard against relapse.
Outpatient Addiction Rehabilitation Centers
Though deemed less effective than their inpatient counterparts, basic addiction treatment is supplied by outpatient addiction rehabilitation centers. In general, such centers tend to be state-funded in some form, and dedicate themselves to providing the basic tools necessary for recovery. Patients cannot be currently using drugs and alcohol when admitted to the majority of outpatient programs, as successful detoxification is often a prerequisite for outpatient treatment (largely due to the lack of on-site detoxification facilities at most outpatient treatment centers). Drug and alcohol testing is also routinely performed as part of the outpatient experience.
Patients generally will attend alcohol and drug addiction education classes or seminars, participate in mandatory 12-step meetings, and receive therapy in a group setting. Occupational placement services may be offered and transitional planning is also generally part of the outpatient experience. Family counseling may also be offered, depending on the outpatient facility.
Addiction Recovery Through Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs
Research continues to support the increased effectiveness of residential programs in achieving long-term sobriety at higher success rates than outpatient programs. With enhanced levels of supervision, the establishment of a sober, supportive atmosphere, on-site detoxification for a seamless transition through the recovery process, and a duration of treatment that solidifies sobriety, residential rehabilitation programs offer comprehensive healing and support for addicted individuals. Intensive psychological and emotional counseling is offered to patients at inpatient rehabilitation programs, generally in group, family, couples and personalized therapy sessions. Patients learn to better contextualize the core reasons behind their drug or alcohol addictions, and begin to forge the healthy cognitive and coping skills they need to guard against relapse.
Patients at inpatient rehabilitation centers also receive supportive structure, learning time management skills, organizational techniques, scheduling abilities and life skills as they learn to practice sobriety in a safe environment. The features involved in residential rehabilitation also support addiction recovery. Patients receive lodging, food and ongoing care that allow them to invest their energy in the work of recovery.
Extended Addiction Rehabilitation at Sober Living Homes
For some individuals, successful graduation of an alcohol or drug treatment program still leaves a need for further treatment before full recovery can be reached. In such cases, sober living homes may provide the extended treatment necessary to solidify sobriety. Sober living homes may be peer-run or therapist-guided, though many excellent sober living treatment programs occur at residential addiction facilities as a form of extended-stay care. Patients are sometimes encouraged to hold part-time employment or perform volunteer work, while some centers ask that patients simply focus on continued recovery.
Life skills, time management, organizational techniques and stress reduction guidance are generally provided at sober living homes as a means of strengthening sober life skills. As with residential drug and alcohol treatment centers, aftercare planning services are also included in the discharge process at the majority of sober living homes. Patients receive environmental assessment, substance abuse trigger awareness and referrals to local therapists, physicians and 12-step support groups.
Dual Diagnosis Capacity at Addiction Rehabilitation Programs
Additionally, many residential centers offer dual diagnosis capacity – the ability to treat concurrent mental health concerns alongside drug and alcohol addiction issues. For patients, this means that issues that may have contributed to the development of substance abuse – or potentially even developed as a result of addiction – can be treated while they enter sobriety, making full recovery more achievable and permanent. Issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorders, anxiety, depression, mania or other behavioral addictions can receive relief and treatment at residential rehabilitation centers. Studies have repeatedly shown that coinciding treatment of both addiction and mental health issues garner stronger results than programs that treat the conditions separately.
Finding Addiction Recovery Rehabilitation Centers
If you or someone you love has spiraled into drug or alcohol addiction, residential rehabilitation programs can offer a pathway back to sobriety. We invite you to call our 24-hour, toll-free helpline at any time of day or night. Our caring addiction treatment specialists will listen to your story and help align you with a holistic rehabilitation center that can provide the compassionate, confidential treatment you need to recover.
